A Beautiful Mess
by She's Hearing Voices
Summary: Five years has passed since Sunnydale became nothing more than a crater, and Buffy has come to the realization that she’s bored. So she takes it upon herself to visit her friends, oddly enough starting with Faith. Eventually Buffy/Faith.
1. Chapter 1

It's two o'clock in the morning and I'm deciding to post yet ANOTHER story! Gah. Somebody stop me... I've had this idea for a while and I've been writing it on and off again for a couple of months. I just wasn't happy with the way it was flowing. I think that if I commit though and finally post it, it'll force me to find the proper way to write this story. And I'm thinking that you guys can help me.

Anywho, I hope you like it and there will be more to come later. Please review and tell me what I'm doing right/wrong/ or if you just want to tell me that you want some cake and ice cream. I don't care. Something is better than nothing. :D

Disclaimer: I own nothing, apart from my little devil of a cat and a few bucks in my wallet.

**Chapter One: **

"_Yeah Buffy, what are we going to do now?"_

Five years had passed. Five years … and too many months to even admit to. At the time, Buffy hadn't known how to respond to the question her sister had asked, so she didn't. And instead of waiting around for an answer, they all returned to the bus and drove towards their new destination.

The bus ride had been filled with silence for the most part; some of the potentials took it upon themselves to break that however. But mostly they were all just wondering silently what they were each going to do.

Now, Buffy sat alone in her overly-large office, thinking about the people she hadn't seen in more years than she could remember. They each started to drift apart after Sunnydale had crashed, and eventually went their separate ways.

Buffy smiled sadly as she picked up a picture that captured six of the people who had helped save the world: herself, Dawn, Giles, Xander, Willow, and Faith, who had insisted on not being in the picture.

Buffy's smile widened when she thought back onto how she had to practically drag Faith into taking a picture with them. Buffy was glad that she did because it was the only picture she had of all of them together. The other various pictures Buffy had were ones they had taken on the bus; most were of them fooling around. She was thankful that Andrew was weird enough to bring a disposable camera to an apocalypse, although she would never tell him that.

The picture sitting on her desk was taken on the day they closed up the Hellmouth. You didn't have to look closely to see dirt and grime covering their clothes and faces; but they were smiling faces, all of them, even Faith had decided to break out in the dimpled-grin that Buffy secretly loved to see. She hadn't heard from the dark slayer in years, five to be exact, but who was counting?

They had all gotten so wrapped up in their own lives. Willow was off saving the world, using one computer at a time to do so, Xander had taken Dawn on a trip around the US for vacation, Giles was back in England, reconstructing a new and improved Council, Buffy found herself sitting on top of another Hellmouth in Cleveland (after all, the slayer work was never done for her), and Faith … Faith was a question mark just like always.

Of course Buffy had made no attempt to even contact the brunette or many of her other friends for that matter, but she could only imagine that Faith wanted to stay off their radar screen after saving the world. Especially since Giles had made a few phone calls to get rid of her criminal history. They all thought that she deserved a second chance.

--

_Flashback_

_After having just finished a semi-victorious meal at a hole-in-the-wall diner, Buffy found herself alone with Faith outside; the others were still enjoying their food inside. Buffy couldn't help but notice that the air between them was awkward; after all, they weren't necessarily on the best of terms, but they weren't on the worst either. They both had just saved the world, so for once in their lives they were on equal ground. _

_Buffy found the tension to be unbearable, so she was the first one to speak. "What do you plan on doing now?" She asked hesitantly as she watched Faith take a drag of her cigarette, a habit that Buffy could have gone without when it came to the brunette. _

_After blowing out some smoke in the other direction, Faith answered, "Don't know," and shrugged her shoulders. But despite her answer she looked thoughtful, like she had something in mind but didn't want to share it with Buffy._

_Buffy nodded. She expected that exact answer from Faith. What she didn't expect, was to feel hurt by the idea that Faith might actually know where she wanted to go, but didn't want to share it with her. _

_After a few seconds, Faith snubbed out her cigarette and asked, "What about you B? You've got slayers all over the world now, think it's time to throw in the towel?" _

_Buffy shrugged herself at that. "Probably could now, but I shouldn't. Someone needs to train these girls, help them understand." It was something Buffy had thought about the entire bus ride. New slayers meant new problems, ones that automatically were directed at her to fix. The vicious cycle never ended. _

_Now it was Faith's turn to nod. "No better person than you to fill in those shoes. Me? I'd prolly lead them to the local bar or somethin. But ya never know…" She said with a smirk and a second later Buffy couldn't help but notice a far off look in the brunette's eyes, one that looked almost hopeful. _

_There was an awkward silence that reached the two as Buffy looked at Faith questionably. After a few seconds, Faith had almost a sad smile on her face as she said, "Do me a favor, take care of yourself Buffy." And then she walked away, leaving Buffy even more confused than before. _

_--_

Buffy didn't realize it then, but in a roundabout way, Faith was asking if she could tag along. She understood that now, and wished she could have realized it then. Maybe then, Buffy wouldn't be so bored with Faith by her side. _'The way it should have been all those years ago…'_ Buffy thought sadly. After all, the girl did have a knack for creating some fun.

But it wasn't like she couldn't have contacted Faith at any moment in the past five years and ask if the brunette wanted to come up to Cleveland, it was just, things came up, problems arose and in the end, she had a lot to deal with: life, work, life, and work were pretty much the core of her troubles.

But she wanted to see Faith, as weird as that sounded. She didn't know why or how the idea even came up, but it was there, and now she was determined to see if the brunette was okay and maybe even if _they_ were okay.

Buffy gently placed the picture back on her desk and picked up her phone. It was time to make a call, one that she should've made years ago. After a few seconds of dial tone, she heard a soft, "Willow Rosenberg's office, Willow speaking."

Buffy smiled at that. God did she ever miss that voice. "Will, it's me."

"Buffy! How are you? I haven't from you in-"

Buffy cringed and cut her friend off before she could be reminded of how long it's been. "A long time, I know, and I'm sorry about that. But uh…" Buffy hesitated. How was she supposed to tell her friend, whom she hasn't spoken to in months, that she called because she needed a favor?

"You still there?" Willow's humorous voice asked through the receiver. Even after a few years of being apart, Willow was still her joking-self and that oddly made Buffy feel guiltier.

"Yeah, I am Wills, it's just…" Buffy bit down on her lip.

"You need a favor, well how can I be of service?" Willow asked, showing no signs of hostility.

Buffy's eyes widened. "How did you know?"

"I _am_ your best friend after all."

Buffy smiled. "Yes you are, and you just got a whole lot best-ier in the last two seconds. I kind of need you to…" Now here came the even harder part: asking her best friend to find someone who once held a knife to her neck.

"As much as I'm enjoying a conversation with you Buff, I kind of have things to do this week." Willow joked, knowing that if she didn't get Buffy to spit out what she was trying to say soon, then they'd be on the phone forever; although that didn't look too bad, considering the long absence from actually talking to her best friend.

Buffy laughed and took a deep breath. "I kind of need you to locate Faith for me." She half-whispered the last part. "Not because I think she's a threat or anythin-"

She was surprised to found that Willow was actually laughing on the other end. "Sure, when do you need to know?"

"Wait, you're not mad?"

"What, that you want to find someone that wanted us all dead once? Not at all. We had a talk on the way into Sunnydale and then again after the Hellmouth, she's changed."

Buffy smiled, she was glad to see that her best friend agreed with her on that. "Yeah, she has."

A mischievous smile played on Willow's lips, knowing Buffy couldn't see her, as she said, "So I'll just e-mail you her location once I can pinpoint where she is."

"Thanks Will, you're the best."

"I know. And B-buffy?" Willow asked hesitantly.

"Yeah?"

"Next time try not to wait so-"

"Long to call. I got it. Sorry about that." Buffy replied sheepishly.

"Good. Alright, talk to you later?"

"Promise. Bye." And then Buffy hung up the phone, feeling ten times better than she was a few minutes ago.

----

Yay? Nay? Yarp, Narp? Lemme know. :)


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks for reading and reviewing! I know I shouldn't be starting another one, buuut, I get bored sometimes. Okay, first off, I didn't pick a state for Faith to live in because I didn't want to have to write one specific state, I kind of wanted to create my own climate and scenery and population. :P The glory of being the writer.

And then second of all, this will eventually be a Buffy/Faith story. But for the time being, they are just friends. I'm not going to drag out their relationship too much, but I don't want them to all of a sudden jump in each other's arms. (but then again I do...)

Oh yeah and the title is from a Jason Mraz song "A Beautiful Mess". Check it out, it's a pretty song.

Hope you enjoy. And please review, I like to know what I'm doing horribly or ...okay-ly? :P

**Chapter Two:**

Some hick state … Faith now lived in a state where the number of cattle reigned over cars. The moment Willow had told her where Faith was living Buffy had to fight the urge to laugh hysterically. It just didn't make any sense; Faith seemed like the type of girl that loved the city, the nightlife of clubbing, drinking, and having fun. But living in the middle-of-nowhere part of the US? Well that didn't sound like Faith at all, although Buffy gave up trying to figure Faith out years ago. She was convinced that she would truly never know the brunette entirely, and as strange as it was, that thought bothered her.

Thanks to Willow, she now held Faith's exact address in her hands… something that she could have had access to for the past five years. Sometimes guilt had a way of biting you in the ass when you least expected it.

The flight there had taken a lot longer than planned, due to a delay at the airport. Buffy assumed that it was some cowboy complaining that he couldn't get his donkey a seat. However, the drive into town seemed to take even longer. Because Faith insisted on living in nowheres-ville USA, Buffy had to drive twice as far to reach the part of town she was actually staying in.

She hated to admit it, but the scenery was amazing. Ice-capped mountains graced the skies, and the sun peeked through the fluffiest clouds Buffy had ever seen. All the great scenery in the world couldn't convince Buffy that Faith would live somewhere purely for the clear skies though. She was determined to find out the real reason why Faith was living there.

In the rented Honda she had picked up near the airport, Buffy was sure that she had circled the small town five times already, although she was determined not to admit that she was lost. She steadily picked up the paper she had scribbled Faith's address on and looked around yet again. "5…1…1 Oh come on, it has to be around here somewhere. There's 506, 508, 510, and …" She drove up a little further "512." deadpan. Where were the missing numbers?

Of course all the numbers she had seen had been on restaurants and shops, she thought maybe, just maybe, Faith was living above a bar. Now _that_ sounded like something Faith would do. If this was where town was, then where was the residential area with all the houses, specifically Faith's house?

Frustration took a hold of her as she stopped abruptly off to the side of the road and pounded on the steering wheel. "You have got to be kidding me!" She breathed out. She was exhausted, jet-lagged, and sick and tired of driving. Her actions however, didn't go unnoticed by some of the folks meandering around town. After muttering a "tourist" to their walking partners they quickly shook their heads and went about their business.

"I give up." Buffy sighed as she spotted a diner not too far up the road. She decided that she'd replenish on food and then continue her search for the missing digits later. Maybe Faith just _didn't_ want to be found.

After parking her beat-up Honda, Buffy made her way inside the diner. A stout woman wearing a traditional waitress' uniform welcomed her with a warm smile. "Lo' there darlin, is it gonna be just you?"

Buffy tried to not sound bitter as she produced a fake smile and said, "Yes please."

The woman smiled and nodded, bringing up one menu. "Follow me then." She said with a flick of her wrist.

As Buffy followed her waitress, she couldn't help but feel several eyes on her. _'No doubt they know I'm a tourist' _Buffy thought as she looked around; they could probably tell from her outfit alone. Not knowing what the weather would be like, she decided on wearing shorts and a t-shirt that screamed 'I belong in California'.

"Here you go Luv." The woman said as she placed a menu on the table next to the window. Buffy smiled and got seated as her waitress said, "I'll give ya a few minutes ta decide."

Buffy sported yet another fake smile and watched the woman walk away. She felt bad for being in such a sour mood, but she couldn't help it. Where the hell was Faith's house? Leave it to Faith to pick a mysterious zip code.

After taking several scans through the menu, Buffy finally settled on ordering a grilled cheese sandwich, something that was easy and impossible to screw up … right? 'Debbie' as Buffy came to realize was her waitress' name, assured her that her order would be "out in two shakes of a lambs tail".

Buffy then took her spare time to scope out her surroundings. Despite the overall-clad men throughout town, some who wore the tradition cowboy hat, the guns shop which was larger than the food market, and the thick accents, Buffy could barely tell she was out of Cleveland. Okay, so that was a lie, but she was willing to give this place every chance that she could until she found out the true reason why Faith had decided to stay here for the past three years.

That was one piece of information that Buffy found incredibly interesting. According to Willow, Faith had been traveling around the country for two whole years before finally settling in the Southern part of the US, and the whole time she was off gallivanting around the globe, she checked in with Willow and told the red-head her whereabouts. And again Buffy was hit with another pang of guilt; Faith, their once enemy had managed to keep in touch with _her_ best friend, and Buffy couldn't even make a phone call every few months. Buffy tried not to let the fact that Faith kept in touch with Willow and not herself affect her, but she still felt somewhat resentful towards the brunette.

Buffy dropped her head. It was all coming back to her: how she treated Faith back in Sunnydale, how she had hit her _twice_ before the fight with the First, how she put the brunette into a coma, everything. She looked up only when Debbie brought her the grilled cheese she had ordered. "Alright, y'all set here?" Buffy nodded. "Enjoy." Debbie smiled and left Buffy alone to her thoughts.

She was about to take a bite out of … what she could only hope was a grilled cheese, before something, or someone, caught her eye. Across the street she could have sworn that she saw a familiar flock of brown hair. But … at a mechanics shop? Now _that_ certainly didn't make any sense.

Lo and behold though, Faith appeared from behind a truck that had its hood open. She was dressed in overalls of her own, although the top part of the overalls were dropped in a typical Faith fashion which had Buffy wondering how the overalls were even able to hold up in the first place, and she was wearing a white, or what was once a white, wife beater; the tank now had grease stains imbedded into it. And in spite of all that, she looked … good, great even; the years had done nothing to mar her beauty, but only make them more apparent.

But _why_ exactly was Faith at a mechanics shop? And working nonetheless? Faith had never shown an interest in fixing cars before, although Buffy hadn't really given her a chance to voice her love of cars in the past years.

"I'd be careful with that one." Buffy was then shaken out of her stare-mode and forced to look into Debbie's mischievous eyes.

"W-what?" Buffy asked, although she had heard Debbie perfectly fine, she had no idea what the older woman had meant by her comment.

Debbie pointed with her coffee pot and said, "I'd be careful with that one, she's known fer causing trouble around these parts. Her and that boy of hers."

'_Great another one of Faith's extravagant boy toys…' _Buffy thought sadly, disappointed that Faith still seemed to be her usual flirtatious sex-fiend self. "Oh?" Buffy asked innocently. "What kind of trouble does she cause?" Buffy was hopeful that Faith had managed to stay innocent in the eyes of the law at least.

Debbie smiled and refilled Buffy's water glass with the jug of water that was in her other hand. "I'm sure you'll find out soon enough." And as soon as she had said it, she was gone, leaving Buffy even more confused about her feelings over this town than when she had arrived.


	3. Chapter 3

You guys are awesome! Love reading the reviews. They make me smile.

Oh and you think you know what's going on with Faith and her "boy", but you have no idea. Dun dun dunnn.

This is by far my favorite chapter. So I hope you all like it as well. It's looong.

**Chapter Three:**

Throughout Buffy's entire meal she found it hard to not openly stare at Faith, and watch her as she leaned over a truck to fix whatever it was that was wrong with it in the first place. It had been five years since she had seen those brown locks, those penetrating hazel eyes, and those dimples …

"Well are ya gonna stare all day, or are ya gonna git on over there and talk ta the woman?" Debbie asked with a smile on her face, the same one that was beginning to get on Buffy's nerves. It was like Debbie _knew_ what Buffy was thinking, and that freaked her out, because she herself didn't even know what to think at the moment.

"It's complicated." Buffy explained, grabbing the check from Debbie with a curt smile.

Debbie pursed her lips together and nodded. Crossing her arms, she asked, "You're the one from California right? That … Summers girl?"

Buffy's mouth widened. Faith had talked about her. "Um … yes."

"Mmhmm, I knew it. I knew sooner or later, you'd be comin up ta see her. She talks about ya all the time y'know." Debbie said as her smile grew.

'_Oh god'_ Buffy thought, as her stomach dropped. The only things Faith could say about her were all related to Sunnydale … and well, things didn't necessarily go great in Sunnydale for them.

Debbie seemed to notice Buffy's distress, so she quickly felt the need to put her mind at ease. "Good things dear. About how ya helped her more than you'll ever know, and how-" And just like that, Debbie stopped talking. When she started again, she still had that same knowing smile on her face, but it was more reserved. "Listen to me, goin' on about things I'm sure that ya ain't even interested in." Debbie patted Buffy's arm and whispered, "Good luck with things."

Weird. Not only had Faith said _good_ things about her, but she said that the blonde had actually _helped_ her? Now that was just one for the books, the Twilight Zone books that is. Add two more pieces to the three-thousandth piece puzzle that is Faith. She seemed like a completely different person now, apart from the trouble-causing man in her life that is. That piece of information still nagged at Buffy.

After grabbing her purse and after much internal debate going on in her head, Buffy made the decision to see Faith. It was now or never, do or die (although hopefully not). After all, it was why she had traveled all the way from Cleveland in the first place. Now the only trouble was that her car, the car that she had found to be the cheapest on the lot, just died. She had managed to make it about a foot away from her parking spot when it suddenly just gave up on her.

"Way to spring for a car Buff." She scolded herself. "Guess I'll have to see Faith for an entirely different reason now." She huffed as she grabbed her purse and made her way towards the mechanic which happened to be Faith.

As she crossed the street, Buffy almost, almost, stopped and turned right back around. She didn't even really practice what she was going to say to the other woman. She could see it now … _'Hey Faith … I know it's been about … oh five years, but uh … we're okay, right?'_ or ' _Hey Faith! Fancy seeing you here. Yeah I was just traveling around the globe and …'_ Not that wasn't going to work. Yeah this was going to go over _real_ well. Before Buffy even realized it, she was standing a few feet behind the brunette.

Faith didn't even seem to notice her at first; she was way too wrapped up in her work under the hood. Buffy would be lying if she said that she wasn't enjoying the backside view of Faith bent over the car and she could even go as far as to say that the various grunts coming from the brunette weren't doing anything to help calm the heat. The blonde had to shake herself from her thoughts. '_Bad Buffy_'

The truth was though, Faith knew exactly who was behind her; it was only the same person she hoped would come see her for the past five years. She could play coy though and pretend she couldn't feel Buffy's presence behind her right? Although, it was taking everything in her to hold back from turning around to just look at the blonde. Her slayer connection with the other girl was going stir crazy.

Faith had to wonder though, why now? Why had she suddenly decided to do what she should have done all these years ago? Faith was so wrapped up in these questions that she stood up too fast and hit her head on the hood of the car. "Ow!"

Buffy couldn't contain a laugh that escaped as she watched the normally smooth-Faith bonk her head. As Buffy continued to laugh, Faith rubbed her head with the bottom part of her arm so that she wouldn't get grease in her hair. "Something funny Blondie?" Faith asked as she turned around and faced the blonde for the first time in over five years. And damn did she ever look good. She had bangs that swept to the side now and her hair was a little bit shorter than what she remembered. The new 'do' did nothing but improve her natural beauty.

Faith wasn't the only one mesmerized however. Buffy couldn't take her eyes off the greased-up version of Faith. She couldn't tell from where she was sitting at the diner, but standing close to the brunette, Buffy could now see grease marks on her cheeks and forehead. Grime had never looked so good on someone. If she looked _this_ good all covered up in god knows what, then Buffy could only imagine what she'd look like … _'Focus'_ "You aren't surprised to see me?" Buffy asked.

Faith merely shook her head. She was trying to compose herself from smiling like a crazy person. "No I'm plenty surprised B."

Buffy smiled, she hadn't heard that nickname for far too long. "Then how did you know it was me? Unless you've got another blonde that you want to tell me about?" She asked with a devilish smile.

Faith smiled the dimpled-grin that could melt anyone's heart. "Nah B, no other blonde. I could recognize that high school giggle from anywhere." Buffy was about to protest to that, but Faith beat her to the punch. "Well that, and … slayer connection." Faith whispered as she leaned in closer to the blonde.

Buffy mouthed an 'o' and nodded as she tried to not let the close proximity of Faith affect her. It made sense, although Buffy couldn't feel her as boldly as Faith could feel the blonde. That kind of saddened her. So many years of wishing the connection away, finally her wishes were met, and now she wanted it back.

And then there was an semi-uncomfortable silence as they each looked each other over. The uncomfortable silence was to be expected though. They hadn't seen each other in years, and it _was _Buffy and Faith after all.

"So …" Faith muttered as she shuffled her feet, she felt like she should be the one to break the silence. "What brings you to town?" she joked. She only hoped that the other slayer's reasons for coming into town weren't related to 'keeping an eye' on her.

"You, actually."

Faith gulped. _Here it comes…_ "Yeah?" She asked coolly.

Smiling, Buffy crossed her arms and said, "I was sitting in my office, and before you start, yes I have an office."

Faith threw her hands up in surrender. "Wasn't gonna say anything."

"Anyways," Buffy continued with a smile that clearly said 'I don't believe you' "I was sitting there, bored as always, and I looked at the picture."

Faith's eyebrows furrowed together as she started to wipe her greasy hands on a towel she kept in her pocket. "Picture?"

"The one we all took together after Sunnydale." Buffy answered as she watched Faith desperately try and clean the grease off her hands and face. The attempts were of no use though, and a smear was left on her cheek. It was going to take some major scrubbing to get some of the marks off. Before Buffy could stop herself, her brain automatically came to the realization that grease stains looked cute on Faith.

"Ohh you mean the one you _dragged_ me into?" Faith asked with a smile, breaking Buffy out of her scary revere.

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Fine, yes, that one."

Faith's smile widened, she actually got Buffy to admit that Faith was right about something. "So, what? You saw the picture and decided to pay little visits around to your pals around the globe? Gotta say B, that's pretty wicked. Although I also gotta admit that you shoulda done that about, oh I dunno … a few years ago?"

Buffy nodded sadly. "I know." Although she didn't mention that it was just Faith that she had decided to see. The blonde didn't quite know how she would take that news and she still didn't even know the reasoning behind her visit. To reconcile maybe?

Faith saw the guilt wracking the blonde, so she went over and placed an arm on her shoulder, careful to not get grease stains on what was probably an expensive shirt. "Hey, don't listen to me, I'm just talkin outta my ass here. I mean, shit catches up with you, y'know? Work, life, it's hard to keep it all together and still have a social life. Plus, any one of us coulda done the same and visit you." Faith finished, sounding rather guilty herself.

Buffy nodded, she was glad to see that Faith understood exactly what she was going through. "Hey, same with you. S-stuff comes up and well … social life goes out the window." Buffy reasoned, trying to make Faith see the same point.

Faith had to smile at the fact that Buffy chose to say 'stuff' and not 'shit'.

Buffy noticed Faith trying to suppress a laugh and asked, "What's so funny F?"

Faith had to chuckle at that, now there was a nickname she hadn't heard in a long time. "Nothin B, nothin. Listen, how long you in town for?"

Buffy frowned. "Good question."

Faith laughed. "You didn't book a return flight? What, were you so caught up in the need to see me that you forgot?"

Buffy laughed nervously. That wasn't the reason … no … not at all. "No … I just like to leave my visits open ended. I don't like to rush things." She said, in an almost-convincing voice.

Faith nodded, clearly not believing her, but she didn't care. She thought that maybe she could convince the blonde to stay a little longer if she was given enough time. "So where you stayin?"

Buffy produced another frown.

"Oh man B, you're lookin real good right now. So you've got no place to stay, for who knows how long? _Classic_." Faith joked, now openly laughing at the blonde.

Buffy narrowed her eyes at the brunette, something that usually worked when she used it on Dawn, now however, it only caused Faith to laugh even harder. So, Buffy took another approach and smacked her on the arm. "You're mean."

Faith finally settled and said, "I'm sorry B, but c'mon now, how can miss-plan-ahead, not think of all this?"

Another good question … why hadn't she planned for any of this?

Buffy shrugged. "Are you going to laugh at me the whole time I'm here, or are you going to show me around town?" She asked, although she would have minded to not be shown around town, at least not this town.

At that, Faith suddenly got fidgety. Buffy doubt she'd ever seen the younger girl look so nervous before. "Uh … yeah, sure I'll show you around."

"No one's twisting your arm you know?" Buffy joked, trying to lighten the mood.

Faith relaxed a little at that and smiled, although it was still somewhat reserved. "Yeah I know, it's just … I've got things I need to-"

"Right." Buffy said before thinking. _The boy, her 'boy toy'_. Faith looked at her questioningly and Buffy recovered by saying, "No, I get it. You've got a life too."

Faith studied her for a few seconds and then sighed. "How much did she tell ya?"

"What?"

Faith narrowed her eyes at the blonde. "Debbie. At the diner. How much did she tell ya?"

Oh that.

"Yeah I know all too well about Debbie's problem about running her mouth. So, how much did she tell ya?" Faith said in a tired voice. Buffy started to think that maybe there were things that Faith didn't want her to know. But that's just crazy. Faith being mysterious?

"Not much." Buffy shrugged. "Just that there's this boy in your life and that you talk about me." She said as she tried to hide her smile as she said the last part, but failed miserably.

Faith's head snapped up. "She talked about Luke? Damn it, she's gonna get it now. I told her a million times not to-"

Buffy could feel the heat escalating. "Whoa, calm down. I don't care." Lie.

Faith looked up at her, looking almost vulnerable. "You don't?"

Buffy was confused. It seemed like both answers would lead her into a heap of trouble. She decided to go for it anyways. "No. Look, Faith it's your life. You can date who you want. It doesn't matter what these hicks think, if you honestly like Luke and think he's a good guy, then by all means, screw whatever anyone else thinks."

Faith's face fell and Buffy was confused. Wasn't that a good answer?

Finally, after a few seconds, Faith laughed, but this laugh was different, it was almost a bitter laugh. She shook her head and said, in a low voice, "You don't get it B."

Buffy didn't know what to do. What was Faith talking about? Didn't get what? She was going to ask her those questions but she didn't come back to fight with the brunette, she came back … to be friends with her? Buffy was still a little sketchy on the details as to why she decided to hop on a spontaneous flight to see someone with whom she wasn't on the best terms with.

"So … you've been talking about me to the waitress at Denny's huh?" Buffy asked, trying to break the tension a little.

Faith couldn't help but laugh at Buffy's attempt to lighten the mood. "First of all, it's not a Denny's, second of all, she's not just a waitress, she's my friend, and third, yeah I talk about ya, I talk about all you guys."

That sure as hell shut Buffy up. Debbie was Faith's _friend_? Odd. And Faith talked about her, all of them. That was new. Faith was usually the type to keep things bottled up and never talk about anything besides sex and booze. The younger girl definitely had changed.

"Anyways B … You should get going, get a hotel room or somethin. I still got a lot to do around here so it'd be a little while before I could show you around town." Now _that _seemed more like Faith: saying something off the wall and then leaving Buffy to stew over what she had just said by finding a way out of the conversation.

"Um, I kind of can't," Buffy replied. She tried not to sound sad by the fact that Faith was pretty much ushering her away, but found it hard to not sound a little disappointed.

"Why's that?" Faith asked with a raised brow.

"My car died." She explained softly, she was embarrassed that the first car she had driven in years had broken down on her.

Faith smiled. "Wait … you drove? That I gotta see." Faith had heard the infamous tales of Buffy on the road.

"Ha ha, very funny. Are you going to help me miss mechanic?" Buffy asked as she stuck out her bottom lip. And again they were joking. She never knew where she stood with the brunette. She could be joking with the brunette one second, and throwing a punch at her the next. It was always a rollercoaster when it came to Faith.

Faith meanwhile was cursing the pout Buffy was sporting. Faith was a sucker for the bottom lip. "Alright, alright, put away the weapon." Faith joked and Buffy smiled. "Where's your car at?"

"Denny's." Buffy said with a smile.

Faith sighed. "Figured, and it's not a Denny's."

"Whatever you say F." Buffy muttered, following the brunette across the street with a smile plastered on her face. Things may get tense between the two again later, but right now, Buffy was just basking in the way things were going so far. Semi-smoothly.


	4. Chapter 4

Thanks for the reviews! That Luke I am your father one had me rolling. Haha

Wow you guys are really interested in knowing who this Luke guy is huh? I hate to say it, but it won't be discovered who he is for ... a little bit. But I can tell you that he's none of those things you guys said. ;) Mwaha.

Hope you like the chapter!

**Chapter Four: **

"Hey Deb, I'll take an omelet to go!" Faith called as soon as they entered the 'Denny's'. Truth was however, Buffy didn't know what the real name of the place even was; there were no signs posted anywhere and the menus were so old that the logo had been faded off. It must have been a place that only the townsfolk's visited, and knew by heart.

Debbie suddenly appeared before them with a hand placed firmly on her hip. Standing in that pose, the woman looked fit for a fight. "Lehane, now how many times have I asked you not ta drag your dirty b'hind in here when you're workin? Hmm? Ya know I'd be more than happy ta get Frank to run your food over t'ya."

Faith placed a now clean hand on her chin and appeared deep in thought. "I dunno Deb, how many times have I asked you to not go spreadin my business around town?"

Buffy stood off to the side of Faith and the woman who was once her waitress, nervous as to what the outcome would be. Both seemed like strong women. No doubt that Faith had the slayer strength on her side, but Debbie? Well that woman looked like she could throw down a good fight. Spectators would say that this was an even match.

Debbie's face suddenly became soft as she whispered, "Now Faith I'm sorry, I didn't mean no harm by it, I was just talkin to the nice woman." Buffy only was able to hear what they were saying because of her slayer abilities. "You were right by the way, she's a beauty."

Faith tried to clear her throat to cover what Debbie had said, but it didn't work, Buffy heard every word and she had to keep herself from blushing. Faith thought she was beautiful.

Faith's face softened as well at Debbie's apology. "I know you didn't mean any harm, but Deb? It's my life, you know me. I don't like everything out in the open, especially some things."

Debbie smiled sadly as she nodded. "I know honey, I know. Sooner or later though, you gotta let someone in, kay?"

Faith chuckled sadly and nodded. "Yeah, I'm workin on it."

Buffy felt uncomfortable. She shouldn't be here for this conversation. Although, she couldn't help but feel strangely jealous of the way they interacted with each other. She also felt something else, but she couldn't even begin to describe what it was.

And just like that, the mood was lifted. Debbie clapped her hands together with a smile and said, "Good, now that that's all taken care of, let's get that breakfast-for-dinner special that ya love." After that, she was around the counter, placing Faith's order.

Faith suddenly turned to Buffy and said, "Let's take a look at that car you destroyed now."

Buffy nodded sheepishly and went outside to show Faith her disaster-of-a-car, and the entire way, she just couldn't seem to get Faith's conversation with Debbie out of her mind.

The sun was just starting to go down, so there was still enough light for Faith to fully check over the car. After a few minutes of inspection, Faith turned to Buffy and asked, while trying to contain her laughter, "Um … B?"

Buffy had been waiting on a bench outside and merely enjoyed watching Faith work. When she heard her name called, she got up and walked over towards the brunette. "What's the verdict doctor?" She asked.

Faith smiled. "Well, patient died of blood loss ma'am. I'm terribly sorry."

Buffy had to laugh at Faith's impersonation of a southern doctor. "Blood loss?" She questioned.

Faith suddenly became mockingly serious. "Yeah, there's this thing that you have to do every so often B, kind of important to operate a car, it's called gas, and you need to fill this puppy up with it whenever you see the gas light come on."

Buffy felt like an idiot. "You're joking right?"

Faith laughed. "Wish I was."

Buffy then smacked her palm against her forehead. "I keep off the road for years and the first time I do it again? I forget one little thing."

Faith nodded. "Yeah, little." She replied sarcastically.

Buffy turned to Faith. "You're enjoying this aren't you?"

Dimples peeked out. "Oh yeah."

Buffy shook her head and smiled, it was hard not to when Faith let her dimples show. In spite of the situation, she had to agree, it was hilarious. "So, what now? I just bring gas over and everything will be dandy again?"

Faith nodded. "Looks that way." Afterwards, she held out her hand and said, "Now that'll be fifty dollars ma'am."

Buffy laughed. "Now I know you're joking."

Faith shrugged. "Fine, have it your way. This one'll be on the house."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Gee thanks." She said sarcastically. She couldn't help but be amazed over how well things were going between them so far. There had been one small spat (if you could even call it that), but it still seemed like a new record for them. They were actually getting along … and joking with one another and even … flirting?

"Order's up Faithy!" Debbie yelled from the doorway, holding a bag which clearly said 'The Horseshoe' on it. Aha, one mystery solved and about a hundred others to go.

"Thanks Deb, I'll get it in a sec!" Faith yelled back and then turned back to Buffy. Looking down at her watch, she said, "Seeing as I only have a couple of minutes left on my shift, I might as well show you around town."

"Wait a second … I thought you said you had a lot to do?" Buffy asked with her eyes narrowed.

"Well yeah, I did. But that was before I ordered an omelet. 'Sides, I had to test the waters between us, make sure one of us wasn't gonna end up on the floor." Faith reasoned. She had been waiting for a visit from Buffy for a long time, but she had been dreading it as well. She had no idea how the blonde's visit would play out.

Buffy resented that, but then again … she agreed with what she was saying. "I guess I get that, but I don't have to like the fact that you lied to me."

Faith smiled. "Of course not B."

--

Once they got back to the mechanic's, Faith and Buffy both sat in the back office while Faith ate her omelet. She even let Buffy try a bite or two and Buffy had to say that it was the best omelet she'd ever had.

While Faith ate they mostly talked about Dawn, Willow, and Xander. Buffy told Faith how much she missed Dawn because Xander had taken her on an around-the-US trip. She also told Faith that Willow had caught Kennedy with another woman.

"That bitch." Faith muttered while taking a bite. "Next time I see her … she's toast."

Buffy had to laugh at that. "Yeah the next time she wants to visit Deliverance town, she'll be nothing more than a footnote in your book."

Faith was about to take a bite, but stopped. "What?" She asked with a chuckle.

Buffy shook her head. "Never mind." Better leave the smack talk to a Boston girl.

Faith chuckled softly and shook her head. "Seriously though, is she crazy? Cheatin on her like that… I bet Red was pissed." Faith couldn't imagine why anyone would cheat on Willow, the girl was a teddy bear.

Buffy thought about it. "She actually saw it coming. They were having problems before that and they kept beating around the bush about breaking up, so Willow was sort of thankful for a way out. Plus it made Kennedy look _real _bad in the end."

Faith nodded. "You're right about that."

It was then that the conversation dwindled. Faith usually became uncomfortable when the topic of 'relationships' arose.

"Makes me glad that I managed to stay out of the dating pool." Buffy mentioned, hoping that her comment would put Faith on the spot. She was interested in knowing why Faith seemed so squeamish around the topic. She also wanted to know what the deal with this Luke guy was.

Faith avoided her eye contact as she took another bite. "Yeah, too many bad fish out there." She said before she chewed her omelet.

Well that didn't answer anything at all. Or maybe it did, Buffy couldn't tell. Maybe Faith wanted to break up with Luke and he wouldn't let her. Nah, Faith was a slayer. She'd never willingly stay with someone she didn't want to.

Buffy was about to ask Faith about Luke, but Faith's cell phone vibrating on the table caused her to stop. "Yeah?" Faith answered into the phone. Buffy rolled her eyes at that. Was it so hard to say 'hello' when answering the phone?

Faith cast a hesitant eye towards Buffy. She was probably trying to figure out if the blonde could hear the other part of the conversation. Buffy regretfully couldn't. Faith stood up anyways and said, "Thanks for taking care of that for me. Kinda takes the edge off everything that's been happening lately y'know?"

Faith's face became clouded as she listened intently. Suddenly her face softened, but only for a second. "Yeah, I mi-" She then looked over at Buffy, like she had forgotten the girl was there. "Me too," She opted for instead, leaving Buffy thinking about what Faith would have said.

Buffy couldn't only wonder what Faith was talking about and who she was talking to. Maybe Faith would fill her in, or … you know, probably not.

Buffy could see the lightest traces of a smile grace Faith's face and she was oddly saddened by that. She was starting to think that she was selfish enough to not want Faith to be happy unless she was in the brunette's life. And Faith did seem happy. She had a home, a job, a guy in her life, and a Debbie who knew exactly what she wanted for dinner. And what did Buffy have? Besides a job and a sister that was off at another part of the states?

"Okay, I will Jean. Thanks again." Afterwards Faith flipped her phone shut and placed it back in her overalls pocket.

Buffy looked up at her. "Friend of yours?" God why did she have to sound so jealous?

Faith looked back at her and blinked. "What? … Oh yeah, she and her husband are just taking care of somethin for me."

Buffy tried to put two and two together just by what she had heard on Faith's side of the conversation, but she was having trouble. Maybe this Jean woman and her husband were taking Luke away for vacation because he and Faith were going through a rough patch? That was the only logical explanation she could come up with. The other one involved a sea, a weight, a body-bag, and some sleeping fish.

The other thing that Buffy found hard to believe was that Faith knew a married couple, an actual adult married couple. "Oh." Buffy said in response to Faith, not quite knowing what else to say. She could have asked what it was, past Buffy would have, but she didn't. Faith was not telling her something for a reason, and Buffy didn't want to be the same person that pried into Faith's life when she didn't want her to. She had done some changing of her own after all.

Faith looked at a clock that hung on the wall and said, "Well I'm gonna get changed real quick and then we can head out."

Buffy nodded. Head where exactly?


	5. Chapter 5

Thank you for all the kind words. You guys rock the house. :D

Oh and thanks for thinking Faith being mysterious is realistic. I think it is too… that is if she were real… haha

Luke as a pet? Hmmm we'll see.

And I guess I never made it clear about how long Willow and Buffy haven't talked. It's not quite as long as I let on. I guess I'll have to clear it up in the coming chapters. :P

Hope you like this chapter peeps.

**Chapter Five:**

Faith returned about five minutes later, looking refreshed and changed in her traditional dark jeans and vintage t-shirt. Buffy was amazed that it only took five minutes for someone to look so perfect.

"Ready to motor B?" Faith asked from the doorway.

"Sure thing F." Buffy replied as she stood up.

"You have some jeans to put on or somethin?" Faith asked as she looked Buffy over, in a completely _non_-sexual way of course.

Did Faith not like the view of her legs or something? "What's wrong with how I'm dressed?" Buffy asked, trying not to sound hurt.

"Nothing B." _Believe me._ "It's just, it gets real cold out here fast and I don't want you complainin about how cold ya are when I show you around town." Faith explained to her.

"Oh, well in that case, yes I do have something I can put on."

Fifteen minutes later, they were walking towards Faith's beaten-up Ford pickup truck, one akin to the truck in _Varsity Blues_. "Nice truck." Buffy commented as she opened the door.

Faith walked around towards the driver's side and said, "She gets me around." And then she gave Buffy a wink.

Buffy shook her head and hopped in the truck. Faith really could make _anything_ sound sexual.

As they drove, Buffy found it hard to not occasionally sneak a peek at her driver. She looked incredibly natural behind the large steering wheel as she switched gears. If Buffy didn't know any better, she looked as if she belonged in this atmosphere. All that was missing was a cowboy hat firmly placed on her head. And Buffy was sure that she'd make wearing a cowboy hat look damn good.

Faith noticed the staring every once and a while. She could only imagine what the blonde was cooking up in that head of hers. "Whatcha thinking bout over there?" Faith asked when she could take it no more.

Buffy now directed her full attention at Faith. "I was just thinking that it's been a long time." She lied. Faith didn't need to know that Buffy was actually thinking about how good she looked maneuvering the large truck. That would do _nothing_ to help Faith's already large ego.

Faith nodded, looking thoughtful, and again they were silent. After a couple of seconds, Faith looked in Buffy's direction. "Can I ask you a question B?"

Buffy peeled her eyes off the road and looked briefly into Faith's hazel eyes. "Sure." This question could either lead to disastrous events, or just a small horrible one.

"Why now?" Faith asked as she stole yet another glance in the blonde's direction. "I mean, you're right, it _has_ been a long time. I know why I haven't come to visit you… but why haven't ya come to see me? I know that we said that life gets in the way, but … I don't know." The last part came out quiet, like she was trying to figure out the answer on her own.

Her throat suddenly became unbearably dry. Buffy instantly swallowed the lump that formed. "And why exactly haven't you come to see me?" She asked meekly.

A small grin appeared on Faith's face. "I asked you first."

_Brat._ Buffy took a large breath in and slowly let it out. "Honestly? I don't know. I kept telling myself that I had a lot of work to do but … I was bored. I sit in an office Faith, I fill out paperwork, I take calls. And … I guess after the years passed, I felt like I had lost my chance to come see you."

Faith nodded, looking thoughtful.

"What about you?" Buffy asked.

Faith took in an even larger breath than Buffy did. "I … well at first it was cause I didn't think ya wanted me to." She said and Buffy vaguely recalled their conversation after the fall of Sunnydale and cringed. Buffy could see why Faith might think that. She continued "And then … like I said, shit came up that I had to deal with, stuff I couldn't run from."

She looked a million miles away after that. Buffy wanted to say something to make sure that Faith was still with her, but she stayed silent as the brunette focused her thoughts. Faith still didn't trust her enough to tell her what this 'stuff' was that came up, and Buffy didn't blame her. Faith had no reason to trust the blonde, and vice versa. Hopefully this trip would help heal that.

"Anyways, I'm sure you'll find out soon B. If I know you at all, and I do a little, I know that you hate secrets enough to snoop." Faith said as she casted an accusatory glance in Buffy's direction.

Buffy was put off by that. Her mouth opened in protest. "I do _not_ snoop. I just happen to be in the right places at the right times." She concluded with a huff.

Faith had to laugh at that. "Uh-huh, just like an investigative reporter right?" She asked as she made a wide left turn into a residential area. So this is where the mysterious numbers had gone. Buffy had a feeling that only locals knew how to get into this part of town.

"You know I can hop right back on a plane to Cleveland if you insist on making fun of me the whole time." And even as Buffy said it, she was positive that it'd be a while before she would want to go home. She was oddly comfortable in the brunette's presence.

"No one's stopping ya, y'know?" Faith said sarcastically. She had missed the blonde, a lot. Seeing her again made her realize just how much. She tried not to think about the fact that Buffy would be leaving her again in the coming days. "But if you do leave," Faith went on, "how are ya gonna get to see my place?" she asked as they pulled into the driveway of one of the most perfect homes Buffy had ever seen.

It was only a one-story house, but it seemed large nonetheless. There was a deck in front which held patio furniture and a rocking chair. Buffy could only imagine Faith spending countless nights out, rocking and taking in the scenery. There was also an apple tree out front. Buffy couldn't tell because the sun had gone down, but the house looked baby blue, a color that she'd never imagine Faith picking.

"What d'ya think?" Faith asked as she admired her own home.

Buffy couldn't take her eyes away from it. A small smile made its way onto her lips as she said, "It's perfect."

Faith smiled at that. "Listen, I gotta run next door real quick for somethin, and then we can go do the touristy thing. You mind waitin here?" She asked.

Buffy looked confused. "Why can't I wait inside your house?"

Faith suddenly looked nervous again and Buffy was again wondering what the other girl was hiding. "Uh … place is kind of a mess right now B. I'll just be a minute." Faith said, trying to persuade Buffy into staying in the car.

Buffy shrugged her shoulders. She wasn't about to let Faith off the hook that easily. "I don't mind messy, I did grow up with a younger sister after all."

Faith sighed. She should have expected half as much from the blonde. "Fine, you win. Just lemme clean up a bit before you go in." She said as she opened the truck door and hopped out, leaving a smiling Buffy behind.

About ten minutes later, Buffy was led inside Faith's house.


	6. Chapter 6

I'm loving the reviews from you guys! Whether they be critical, or sweet, they really do help me learn for each chapter I write. Is Luke her son? Is he her dog? I'm not going to straight out say it, but I'll leave little clues here and there. Let's just say, it won't be truly revealed until a few more chapters. I'm really trying to focus on Buffy and Faith's friendship/relationship right now.

I'm glad that some of you think their conversations seem natural. I hate reading stories where characters say things they wouldn't normally say, I hate it even more when I write a story like that. So just continue to let me know what I'm doing right/wrong. ;)

SO here we go. Another shot at love with Til- wait. Ew no. Another chapter I mean. Enjoy!

**Chapter Six:**

Buffy could tell that Faith had done everything in her power to hide a few things (question was what?). But despite that, the house looked … _homey_ and comfortable. The way she had decorated, Buffy got the feeling like Faith had intended to live there the rest of her life, which was odd. All Buffy had in her very spacious apartment was, an expensive sofa, a bed and a television set which she rarely ever used.

But Faith? Well she had actual furniture in her home: a leather sofa that looked like it had seen better days, but still managed to go with the décor of the rest of the house, an oak desk that had various papers scattered on top of it (Buffy couldn't help but notice that they all looked like bills), and an older looking television on top of a black entertainment center.

"Okay, I'm gonna be back in a minute, so no poking your nose where it don't belong a'right?" Faith asked as she narrowed her eyes at Buffy.

Buffy supplied her most innocent look and said, "I'll be good." The devil on her shoulder was having a field day with this lie.

Faith nodded, and Buffy could tell that she didn't believe her, but a second later she was out the door.

Buffy waited a few seconds before giving herself a personal tour of Faith's home. As she walked inside the kitchen, she could actually see dirty dishes that had been used to cook something. The blonde had no idea that the other slayer even knew how to cook. From the looks of it, spaghetti had been her dinner the night before. She couldn't help but notice that it looked like she cooked for two.

At that, Buffy couldn't help but wonder where this Luke guy was. Work maybe? She was becoming anxious to meet him and piece together how he was special enough to make Faith settle down.

When Buffy turned around she was met with a familiar set of pictures hanging on the refrigerator. She smiled as she studied the pictures they had taken on their last day of the apocalypse. There was the picture taken of the whole group (the same one Buffy had on her desk), and there were also the pictures of them goofing around on the bus. Buffy's eyes traveled lower on the fridge and she was met with a picture that she hadn't seen before.

There was a picture of the blonde, clearly asleep, on the bus. Buffy hadn't even known that someone had taken a picture of her. She couldn't help but notice that she had the most peaceful look on her face. She only wondered why Faith decided to add it to her collage on the fridge.

It seemed like every second, the brunette was doing something that surprised her. Buffy couldn't believe it, Faith was … an entirely different person now. She paid her bills, cooked, owned a _home_, had an actual job, and had friends (as well as a Luke…). Buffy was strangely jealous and she didn't know whether her jealousy was towards Faith's life, or her happiness, or maybe a little bit of both.

_I need to sit down, _Buffy thought as she slowly made her way back into the living room and sat on one of the most comfortable leather couches ever made. She should've been relieved that Faith was leading a normal life now. So why couldn't she be happy for her?

As she made herself a little more comfortable on the couch, Buffy could see a stuffed animal peeking out from behind one of the pillows. Faith had a Mr. Gordo? Buffy wondered as she pulled out, not a pig, but a cute horse stuffed animal that looked like it could have been older than Faith herself.

Buffy automatically started to wonder if the brunette had had this horse back in Sunnydale when she was making with the darker side of life. A smile graced her lips as she thought of Faith actually snuggling up with it. Her smile widened as she thought about the other slayer having a name for her horsey. Faith, the badass, had a stuffed animal. Oh this was just _too good._ _I wonder if she talked to it too…_

The latch on the door squeaking caused Buffy to suddenly stash the horse under the pillow where she had found it.

"Sorry that took so long B." Faith said, in a surprisingly tired voice, as she entered the living room. Buffy could also see a fair amount of sadness etched in her features. Buffy frowned a little at this. _Another mystery to add to the growing list. _

"No problem. I was just making myself at home. Your house is incredible Faith." Buffy said, hoping that the compliment would make the brunette's frown turn upwards.

It did a little at least. "Wait till ya see the rest of town, you'll love it." Faith said with a small smile that didn't quite meet her eyes as Buffy stood up and started to walk outside. She didn't plan on loving any part of this side of the US, but with Faith by her side, she was beginning to turn into a believer that anything was possible.

--

The ride was comfortably silent. Even though they had so much that they could talk about, they were perfectly happy being in each other's company. Buffy also took the spare time to enjoy the scenery. The sun, by now, had gone completely down, but that didn't stop the full moon from casting its light upon them.

The stars were also unbelievably bright. Buffy doubted that she'd ever seen as many that were now hovering above her. She quickly checked the time and saw that it was almost nine o'clock.

"What stays open this late?" She asked her driver.

"Just wait B, you'll be surprised by how late some of the shops stay open. There's this antiques store that locks up at ten and the lady that owns it is almost ninety." Faith explained.

Buffy's eyes widened. "I always thought that the grannies were in bed by seven."

Faith chuckled. "Not this granny. She's a hard woman too. Sold me my couch. I tried to get her to drop the price, but she wasn't havin any of it. I ended up payin' a hundred bucks over cause she gave me some story about her sick cat."

Buffy had to laugh at that. "You caved? You let some ninety-year old woman school you? Oh Faith, you really have lost your touch haven't you?"

"Hey, watch it there B. I haven't lost my touch at all." Faith said and Buffy could hear the flirtatious undertone to what she was saying. She could also feel the heat on her cheeks escalate.

"But you have gone soft." Buffy then said to try and switch the topic away from something dirty.

Faith shrugged and Buffy knew that the old Faith would never have admitted to going soft. "The times changed me, no arguin' that." Faith replied, sounding wiser than Buffy had ever heard her.

Buffy looked at Faith like she had just seen her for the first time. "They have, I can see it. I don't' know what it is, but you seem … different somehow."

Faith was suddenly getting extremely uncomfortable. Buffy could see the slightest shift Faith made in her seat and she could tell that the topic was treading on dangerous territory. "So…" Buffy started, trying to come up with a safe topic. "Do you slay at all?" She had been meaning to ask her that for a while now.

Faith let out a breath. "Um … not much to slay here B. Crime rate in this town is slim. I mean apart from your occasional bar fight, not much happens. Everyone knows each other."

Hm. Buffy was a little put off by that. People actually _knew_ Faith, when she herself didn't know the brunette. Well that didn't seem fair at all. And Faith stopped slaying? There was a time when Faith said she'd do nothing except slay. Maybe Buffy had stepped through a portal at the airport and ended up in another dimension … that would be the only logical reason for this very un-Faith-like person sitting beside her.

"What about you? Still showin em who's boss back in Cleveland?" Faith asked.

Buffy's eyes roamed over the many trees that passed as she answered. "Not much. Mostly I'm in my office and looking up slayers and their history before we find them so that we know what we're in for when we approach them. Sometimes I go out though, when I need the release."

"I get that." Faith agreed.

Buffy was about to ask Faith what was on her mind, when Faith suddenly announced, "Well, we're here."


	7. Chapter 7

Eek. I've been a busy bee and neglected my babies. Sorry :( Thank you for all of your reviews and kind words. The reason why I write this dribble. Oh and, Luke will be coming around soon.... I love how you guys think you've got it all figured out. Mwaha

**Chapter Seven:**

Buffy hated to admit how much she actually liked the town at night. In the day, it seemed bare and plain, but at night? It seemed like an entirely different place. The lights that were spread around town almost gave it a fairy-tale-like quality.

As they walked, Buffy had completely forgotten that she was tired and jet-lagged; she was far too entranced by Faith's stories. Faith seemed almost proud of her town. Buffy doubted she ever heard the brunette say so many words.

"Oh and this is where Johnny caught his wife mackin on another guy. Should've seen it B, I never thought that a normal person could throw someone that far." Faith explained with a smile as she pointed across the street where the other guy had landed. Buffy suddenly wished that she _was_ there.

As they continued their path down the long stretch of road Buffy kept on having the strange urge to hold Faith's hand. She knew that it had been a _long_ time since she'd dated, but her and Faith and the holding-of-hands simply just did not go together. Buffy also couldn't help but notice several happy couples walking down the street together, hand-in-hand. She figured that maybe that had something to do with her wanting to hold Faith's hand as well.

"So you wanna B?" Faith asked as she stopped in front of the other girl.

"Hm?" Buffy had completely missed what Faith had asked her. Maybe she wanted to hold hands as well? Yeah, probably not.

Faith chuckled. "Should've known that that head of yours was in the clouds. I asked if ya wanted to get a drink." She said as she pointed with her thumb to the bar that they were standing in front of.

Buffy eyed the bar with a suspicious look. Seemed harmless enough. "Oh. Sure. But I have to warn you that me and the alcohol-ey drinks don't mix." She replied sheepishly.

Faith put on her devilish smirk and said, "Don't worry, I won't let some guy rub off on ya."

Buffy smiled nervously and nodded. She wasn't worried about _some guy_; she was worried about what she might do while under the influence, especially since she was having weird thoughts about the slayer standing in front of her.

They entered the bar and it was exactly how Buffy imagined it would be: bull horns hung victoriously all around the walls, and the colors were very deep and rich. She tried to look past that though, and towards the array of pool tables that had various people taking shots, most of whom were all wearing cowboy hats and flannel shirts.

"So B, what's your poison?" Faith asked as they got seated at the far end of the bar.

Buffy shrugged. "Long Island Iced tea?" She wasn't much for the bar scene, so she really had no idea what to order besides what she'd heard someone say on Sex and the City once.

Faith tried to hide her laughter. "You sure B?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" She asked, clearly confused.

Faith shook her head. "No reason I guess." She then called over to the bartender. "Yo Joe! We'll take a Long Island for Blondie here, and the usual for me."

Joe, a rather stout looking gentleman who looked to be in his mid-forties, walked over to the pair and eyed Faith with a small grin while saying, "Now, what do you think you're doin in here on your night off girly?" From his voice alone, Buffy could tell that he'd probably smoked a pack of cigarettes a day since he was twelve.

Buffy gave Faith a questioning look. So Faith was a mechanic _and_ a bartender? The blonde remembered a time when she thought having fun was a full time job.

"Just showin this Cali girl how we kick it 'round here." Faith explained as Joe pulled out her usual bottle of Jack Daniels. Buffy was somewhat relieved to find that not _everything_ had changed about the girl as she eyed Faith's favorite drink.

Joe cast an eye towards Buffy. "So this is the girl then huh? That Summers one you talk 'bout all the time?"

Faith tried to not let Joe's revelation make her self-conscious, but she could practically feel Buffy's eyes burn into her. Faith laughed nervously and said, "Heh, yeah this is the one Joe. Oh and get this, girl forgot to put gas in her car and called me over to see what the problem was." Faith said with a chuckle. There, now the focus was off of her.

_That jerk, _Buffy thought with a pout.

The rest of the evening went just like that, each taking playful jabs at each other while knowing that the other one was only joking. But for some odd reason, Buffy couldn't get it out of her head that Faith actually talked about her, not only that, but she said _good_ things. _I need another drink_, she thought, as she ordered her fifth 'iced tea' that night. Or at least she thought it was her fifth, she wasn't too sure. She had lost count after two.

"Might wanna take it easy there B. Don't wanna hafta drag your heavy butt back to the car." Faith said with a chuckle. She could handle her alcohol; years of practice had done that to her, but Faith was worried about the blonde and how many drinks she had put away while Faith wasn't looking.

"S'alright. Mmfine. And I've got a butt at lease." Buffy mumbled out as she pointed at Faith with a shaky finger.

"What?" Faith laughed. Was Buffy suggesting that she didn't have a butt? Drunk-Buffy was definitely one to watch out for.

"Wha?" Buffy muttered back as she leaned against the counter as if it were her life source.

"Alright B, I think it's time to hit the road. You can crash at my place." Faith said as she stood up and put an arm around Buffy.

Buffy leaned against her instantly, having lost all balance as she tried to stand. "Dun crash…" Buffy said as her eyelids dropped. All she knew was that she was resting against something that was unbelievably soft and comfy, not to mention smelled great.

"I'll see ya tomorrow Joe." Faith called out as she carried a very-drunk Buffy out to the car.

Faith knew that she had feelings for the blonde; it was obvious, well to everyone _except _Buffy. All of her friends probably knew just from the way she talked about the blonde, and they were actually very supportive, given where they came from and their backgrounds. In truth, the people that made up the small town were actually more open-minded than they suggested.

All Faith had to do was focus on the road and not on the slumbering slayer that sat beside her. The ride had started with Buffy on the opposite side of Faith, and ended with Buffy resting her head against Faith's shoulder. There were no middle cup-holders in the truck, so Buffy had plenty of room to snuggle up against the other girl.

_Focus_. Faith had to remind herself yet again as Buffy's fruity shampoo filled her nostrils. This was what she wanted, the snuggling, the closeness with the blonde, although not quite under these circumstances. Buffy was supposed to be sober … and awake, and actually reciprocate her feelings.

When they arrived at Faith's home, Faith managed to carry Buffy up the steps to the door and into Faith's room without Buffy so much as stirring in her sleep. She decided to plop Buffy on her bed, gently of course. After that, she gently took off the blonde's shoes and pulled the covers over her.

Faith tried to not let the image of Buffy in her bed affect her, but who was she kidding? She'd never forget the sight of the other slayer resting her head against her pillow. She was automatically reminded of the picture she had of Buffy asleep on the bus, it was her favorite because she looked so peaceful and perfect.

Faith took one last look at her before turning around and making up her own bed on the couch, although she was tempted to just curl up next to Buffy and call it a night.


End file.
